Include

[Pythoninfinite]

Ticks don't usually drown that easily, in fact they're almost impossible to drown, but mites are easy to drown (it's one of the treatments for them) and it usually takes a couple of hours. It would be very unusual for a captive (bred) herp to have that many ticks at any time, so I would be very cautious. If you smear them with your finger onto a piece of tissue or paper towel, do they leave a little blood smear? If they do, they're mites, and you either got them with your snake, or have recently acquired an infested snake, or have been around an infested collection.

They look about the size of mites as well.

Check them out carefully.

Jamie.